The last will be first, the first will be last, the least will be greatest and the greatest will be least. Jesus' Kingdom will be just like any other--except exactly the opposite.
If we're honest, Jesus grates against our understanding of fairness. If some lifelong degenerate (as we perceive it) turns to Jesus at the last minute, there should be some kind of lower-class designation for him in the Kingdom, if he gets in at all. We could all name people who might not make the cut if we had our druthers. To be honest (again), our churches often operate on this unwritten rule. Some Christians are better than others. That seems obvious to us. But the grace, the love, the value imparted to each, according to Jesus' story, is the same. Think about it this way: heaven may be populated with people who make us rather uncomfortable.
And what about the other end of the scale? What does it take to be a rock star in the Kingdom? Be a slave, Jesus says. Think about it this way: God may be applauding people in heaven who make us rather uncomfortable.
It's a matter of perspective. If I am the benchmark, then my evaluation of others is based on them in comparison to me. But God does not operate on my convenient scale. If Jesus is the benchmark, then the most moral, the most dedicated, the hardest working person is still a long, long way from Jesus. It's like a world full of couch potatoes swimming against Michael Phelps. Can you imagine any one of them making a big deal about how much better he was than anyone else...except Michael? Is there really much point in awarding a silver or bronze medal in such a race? Or complaining that some other schmuck has an unfair advantage? That's how silly we must look when we compare ourselves to each other. And it takes so little for us to adopt such a pathetic mindset: all we have to do is take our eyes off of Jesus.
I always walk away from this teaching feeling the need apologize to a lot of people. Maybe you do too. Go for it if you want. But at least, let's think a bit higher of each other this weekend, serve each other a bit more. Aim for the bottom, because in the Kingdom, that's the top.
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